Mid-August LunchRome is where the heart lies

PlotA middle-aged man has sacrificed living a full independent life to care for the mother he is devoted to.

Review

The Rome of yesteryear casts shadows over Gianni Di Gregorio’s charming debut, in which he also stars as a sixtysomething whose social life has been severely curtailed by his devotion to his 93 year-old mother. His dedication becomes positively heroic when he welcomes a trio of dotty dears to spend the midsummer holiday in their snug Trastevere apartment.

Making exquisite use of the musty rooms that are his mother’s entire world, this semi-improvised saga is atmospherically photographed and exquisitely designed. But it’s the gently farcical interaction and cutting dialogue of the non-professional cast that makes this so enticing.